Bladder drug eluting device
A drug delivery system that can be deployed from a catheter and retained within the bladder for delivery of treatment drug solutions over a period of time. The delivery system includes an inflatable or expandable delivery element that can be collapsed within the catheter tip for navigation into the bladder before being inflated or expanded within the bladder. The inflated or expanded delivery element can engage the bladder walls or sized to be too large to be passed from the bladder such that the delivery element is retained within the bladder after inflation or expansion to administer a treatment drug solution over an extended period of time.
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The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/613,777 entitled BLADDER DRUG ELUTING DEVICE and filed Mar. 21, 2012, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is generally directed to a drug elution device positionable within the bladder for prolonged delivery of treatment drugs. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a drug eluting device that can be collapsed for transport through a biological lumen to bladder before being expanded to retain the drug eluting device within the bladder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe bladder is a hollow organ for receiving and storing urine produced during digestion before the urine is expelled from the body. The chemical conditions within the bladder, such as the pH, are constantly changing with the influx of new urine and expelling of urine from the bladder. The chemical characteristics of the urine itself are also constantly changing depending on the individual's recent meals, overall diet, timing between meals, present hydration, acute and chronic health conditions, and a plurality of other factors. The characteristics can change dramatically on a daily or even hourly basis. The constantly changing chemical characteristics of the bladder can make effectively delivering chemical drugs to the bladder difficult. In particular, effective long term drug treatments for the bladder are particularly challenging.
Treatment drugs are typically administered to the bladder by navigating a catheter through the urethra until and end of the catheter is positioned within the bladder. The treatment drug is then supplied via the lumen defined by the catheter and expelled within the bladder. If the chemical conditions within the bladder are not optimal when the drugs are administered, the drugs may not sufficiently dissolve to cover a sufficient area or diffuse over too great an area to effectively treat the disorder. In particular, if the pH of the urine is outside a predetermined range, the treatment drug could have little to no effect. The problem is further exaggerated with treatment drugs that are administered within the bladder in a form designed to be gradually administered over time such as time release drug capsules or ampules. The changing bladder conditions and constantly refreshing urine can cause the drugs to be administered either too quickly or too slowly, thereby preventing effective delivery of the drugs.
Presently, the effectiveness of the drug administration process in the bladder is improved by doubling the concentration of the drug to overcome unfavorable conditions or by combining the treatment drugs with a buffering solution to effectively create the desired conditions for a period of time. Although these approaches can improve the efficacy of long term drug treatments to the bladder, these approaches are not without significant drawbacks. Increasing the concentration of the drugs that are initially delivered reduces the likelihood that the dosages that are administered will be insufficient. However, the increased concentration also creates a possibility of an overdose in treatment drugs, which can lead to significant complications. Similarly, the buffering solution is an added chemical solution that can create side effects leading to additional complications for the patient. Long term administration of the drugs can further exaggerate the inherent drawbacks of these treatment methods.
The inability to consistently and effectively administer treatment drugs to the bladder over a long period of time can prevent effective treatment of certain disorders, such as cancer. As such, there is a need for a means of effective long term and consistent drug delivery within a bladder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is generally directed to a drug delivery system that can be deployed from a catheter and retained within the bladder for administering treatment drug solutions over a period of time. The delivery system generally comprises an inflatable or expandable delivery element that can be collapsed within the catheter tip and inflated or expanded after the catheter tip is navigated into the bladder. The inflated or expanded delivery element can engage the bladder walls or sized to be too large to be passed from the bladder such that the delivery element is retained within the bladder after inflation or expansion to administer a treatment drug solution over an extended period of time. Alternatively, the treatment drug can be delivered to the delivery element with a jet injection system at higher pressure to facilitate more rapid introduction of the treatment drug into bladder tissue.
In one aspect, the delivery element can define an internal space for containing a drug treatment solution with a semi-permeable exterior through which the drug treatment solution diffuse over an extended period of time. The exterior prevents complete intermixing of the drug treatment solution with the urine during the initial treatment and instead permits gradual administration of the drug treatment solution at an effective dosage over a period of time. The exterior also limits the effect of changing bladder conditions on the efficacy of the treatment drugs. In another aspect, the exterior comprises a degradable material adapted to dissolve or degrade over a predetermined period of time to gradually release the drug treatment solution. In yet another aspect, the delivery element can comprise at least one orifice through which the drug treatment solution slowly elutes through over an extended period of time.
A drug delivery system, according to a representative embodiment of the present invention, can comprise a delivery element and a catheter having a tip for receiving and deploying the delivery element, wherein the delivery element comprises an inflatable balloon. The inflatable balloon can further comprise a balloon exterior defining an interior space for receiving a treatment drug solution. In one aspect, the catheter can comprise a lumen for administering the drug solution into the interior space of the balloon to inflate the balloon. In this configuration, the balloon can comprise a sealing interface with the catheter tip such that the balloon can remain inflated in the bladder after the catheter tip separates from the balloon. The bladder exterior can comprise a semi-permeable membrane, a degradable membrane, a plurality of orifices or other means of permitting prolonged elution of the treatment drugs from the interior space of the balloon.
In operation, the catheter can be navigated through the urethra until the tip of the catheter is positioned within the bladder. The treatment drug is then supplied through the catheter lumen to inflate the balloon. The balloon can be shaped to contact the bladder wall once inflated. The treatment drug can then be eluted or forced from the balloon into the bladder wall. In one aspect, the catheter can be separated from the balloon and removed from the body while leaving the inflated balloon in place. Once the treatment drug has been administered, the balloon can be deflated by the original catheter or a second catheter navigated into the bladder in a subsequent procedure. Alternatively, the balloon wall can comprise a degradable material formulated to breakdown after a predetermined time allowing the balloon wall to be passed from the bladder wall. In some embodiments, the treatment drug can be delivered into the balloon at higher pressure for more rapid introduction into the bladder tissue using a jet injection system.
According to a representative embodiment of the present invention, the delivery element can comprise a deployable ring. The ring shape permits the ring to be retained within the bladder while allowing the urine to normally pass through the center of the ring. The edges of the ring are sized to engage the sides of the bladder wall to prevent shifting of the ring following deployment. In one aspect, the ring can comprise a ring exterior defining an interior space for receiving a treatment drug. In this configuration, the ring can be filled with the treatment drug to inflate the ring in a similar manner to the balloon. In another aspect, the ring can comprise a flexible material that unfurls and expands when deployed from the catheter tip. In this configuration, the ring can be impregnated with the treatment drug and coated to provide extended delivery of the treatment drug. Alternatively, the ring can comprise a base material coated or impregnated with the treatment drug. In some embodiments, the treatment drug can be delivered into the deployable ring at higher pressure for more rapid introduction into the bladder tissue using a jet injection system.
The above summary of the various representative embodiments of the invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures in the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
The invention can be completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAs depicted in
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In one aspect, the balloon walls 36 of the inflated balloon 34 can be sized to be proximate to the bladder walls as shown in
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In one aspect, the ring 44 comprises a semi-permeable material allowing the treatment drug contained within the ring to diffuse from the ring 44 over a prolonged period of time while preventing urine from entering the interior of the ring 44. In another aspect, the ring 44 comprises a degradable material that gradually breaks down over an extended period of time, thereby gradually dispensing the treatment drug contained within the ring 44. In yet another aspect, the ring 44 can further comprise a plurality of orifices 46 through which the treatment drug solution can be eluted.
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While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail. It is understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A drug delivery device for treating bladder disorders, comprising:
- a first catheter having a lumen defined between a proximal end and a distal tip comprising an inner tip space; and
- a delivery element having a first non-expanded state and a second expanded state,
- wherein the delivery element is fully contained within the inner tip space of the lumen as the distal tip is navigated into a bladder;
- wherein the delivery element transitions to the second expanded state when the delivery element is advanced out of the lumen such that the delivery element contacts an internal bladder wall to deliver a treatment drug from the delivery element to the bladder; and
- wherein the delivery element is separable from the first catheter after the delivery element transitions to the second expanded state.
2. The drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the delivery element comprises a flexible ring, wherein the flexible ring assumes a folded state in the first non-expanded state and assumes a ring shape when in the expanded state.
3. The drug delivery device of claim 2, wherein the flexible ring comprises a drug eluting flexible ring such that the treatment drug is delivered to the bladder through contact of the drug eluting flexible ring with the internal bladder wall.
4. The drug delivery device of claim 2, wherein the flexible ring allows passage of urine through a center portion of the ring such that the flexible ring can remain in the expanded state within the bladder without impacting bladder function.
5. The drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the delivery element comprises a first inflation balloon, and wherein the first inflation balloon assumes an uninflated state in the first non-expanded state and assumes an inflated state in the second expanded state.
6. The drug delivery device of claim 5, wherein an exterior balloon wall is in contact with the internal bladder wall when the inflation balloon is in the second expanded state.
7. The drug delivery device of claim 6, wherein the inflation balloon is inflated with an inflation fluid to assume the second expanded state.
8. The drug delivery device of claim 7, wherein the inflation fluid comprises the treatment drug.
9. The drug delivery device of claim 5, wherein the first inflation balloon comprises a semi-permeable membrane.
10. The drug delivery device of claim 5, wherein the first inflation balloon comprises a plurality of orifices formed in a balloon wall.
11. The drug delivery device of claim 10, wherein a pressurized inflation fluid is forced through the plurality of orifices, the pressurized inflation fluid including the treatment drug.
12. The drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the treatment drug is introduced into the delivery element with a jet injection system.
13. A method for delivering a bladder treatment drug, comprising:
- providing a first catheter having a lumen defined between a proximal end and a distal tip comprising an inner tip space, the first catheter including a delivery element within the inner tip space of the lumen;
- advancing the delivery element out of the lumen and expanding the delivery element so that the delivery element assumes an expanded disposition within a bladder, wherein the delivery element is in contact with an internal bladder wall;
- separating the delivery element from the first catheter within the bladder;
- removing the first catheter from the bladder; and
- delivering a bladder treatment drug to the internal bladder wall through continuing contact of the delivery element with the internal bladder wall.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivery element comprises a foldable ring.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
- allowing urine to pass through a center portion of the foldable ring such that urinary function is maintained following removal of the first catheter.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
- eluting the treatment drug from the flexible ring to the internal bladder wall through continued contact of the flexible ring with the internal bladder wall following removal of the first catheter.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the delivery element comprises a first inflation balloon, and where the method further comprises:
- inflating the first inflation balloon with an inflation fluid such that the first inflation balloon is in contact with the internal bladder wall.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inflation fluid comprises the bladder treatment drug and wherein the expansion of the delivery element and delivery of the bladder treatment drug comprises:
- pressurizing the inflation fluid such that the inflation fluid is directed through a plurality of orifices in a wall of the first inflation balloon such that the bladder treatment drug is delivered to the internal bladder wall.
19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- injecting the bladder treatment drug into the delivery element with a jet injection system.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jan 15, 2013
Date of Patent: Jun 23, 2015
Patent Publication Number: 20130253476
Assignee: AMS Research Corporation (Minnetonka, MN)
Inventor: Brian P. Watschke (Minneapolis, MN)
Primary Examiner: Rebecca E Eisenberg
Application Number: 13/741,918
International Classification: A61M 25/10 (20130101); A61M 29/00 (20060101); A61M 31/00 (20060101);